
Alcohol consumption is a causal factor in over 200 medical conditions and is linked to 2.6 million deaths worldwide, according to 2019 data. Alcohol-related harm places a significant strain on emergency departments and hospitals, with alcohol consumption being a factor in 17.3% of hospital admissions in one study. In England, there were 280,000 admissions in 2019/20 where the main reason for hospital admission was attributable to alcohol (narrow measure), and almost 980,000 admissions where the primary reason or a secondary diagnosis was linked to alcohol (broad measure). In Wales, there were 12,628 admissions involving 8,464 patients in 2022/23, and over 27,000 alcohol-related admissions in 2017/18.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of alcohol-related hospital admissions (narrow measure) | 280 thousand |
| Percentage change from 2018/19 | 2% higher |
| Percentage change from 2016/17 | 8% higher |
| Percentage of all hospital admissions | 1.6% |
| Gender (65%) | Male |
| Age group with the highest number of admissions | 55-64 |
| City with the highest rate per 100,000 population | Stoke-on-Trent (920) |
| Number of alcohol-related hospital admissions (broad measure) | 980 thousand |
| Percentage change from 2018/19 | 4% higher |
| Percentage of all hospital admissions | 5.7% |
| City with the highest rate per 100,000 population | Southampton (4,070) |
| City with the lowest rate per 100,000 population | Wokingham (1,070) |
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What You'll Learn

Alcohol-related hospital admissions among older adults
Alcohol-related hospital admissions are used as a way of understanding the impact of alcohol on the health of a population. There are two methods to measure this: the broad definition, which indicates the full impact of alcohol on hospital admissions and the burden placed on the healthcare system, and the narrow definition, which estimates the number of hospital admissions primarily due to alcohol consumption and provides the best indication of trends in alcohol-related hospital admissions.
Research on alcohol-related hospitalizations among older adults specifically is limited. However, a study by Adams et al. (1993) estimated rates of alcohol-related hospitalization among those aged 65 and older, finding similar rates for myocardial infarction (54.7 per 10,000 for men and 14.8 per 10,000 for women). More recent research using data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) from 1988 to 2007 found an increase in the rate of alcohol-related admissions for those 45 to 64 and a decrease for those 65 and older.
Another study examining trends in inpatient discharges with drug or alcohol admission diagnoses in New York City from 2008 to 2014 found a total of 699,479 opioid, cocaine, cannabis, or alcohol-related hospitalizations among patients aged 55 and older. While adults 55 to 64 had higher rates per 100,000 for all substances compared to adults 65 and older, both age groups experienced significant annual increases in cocaine-related admissions with discharges to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). For alcohol-related admissions with discharges to SNFs, there was no significant annual increase for those 55 to 64, but there was an overall significant increase between 2008 and 2014 for those 65 and older.
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are common but underrecognized issues among older adults. One-third of older alcoholic persons develop a problem with alcohol later in life, while the remaining two-thirds age with the medical and psychosocial consequences of early-onset alcoholism. Alcohol use can have more severe effects in older adults due to pharmacologic changes associated with aging, and interactions with prescription or over-the-counter medications can be more serious. Additionally, physiological changes related to aging can alter the presentation of medical complications of alcoholism. For example, older alcoholic patients have higher age-adjusted rates of hip fracture due to a combination of osteoporosis and alcohol's detrimental effects on gait and balance.
Furthermore, global cognitive impairment is more prevalent among older alcoholic patients, sometimes accompanied by profound cerebral atrophy. While patients may improve as delirium clears with abstinence, residual deficits in memory and judgment often remain. Gastrointestinal bleeding and elevated liver enzymes, which can indicate alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver, or cirrhosis, are also common among older alcoholics. Moderate drinking can exacerbate hypertension, and heavy drinking increases the risk of stroke and ischemic heart disease.
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Alcohol-related hospital admissions by gender
Alcohol-related hospital admissions are used as a way of understanding the impact of alcohol on the health of a population. There are two methods used to measure this: the broad definition and the narrow definition. The broad definition gives an indication of the full impact of alcohol on hospital admissions and the burden placed on the NHS. The narrow definition estimates the number of hospital admissions that are primarily due to alcohol consumption and provides the best indication of trends in alcohol-related hospital admissions.
The narrow definition is a more accurate representation of the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions as it only includes admissions where the primary diagnosis is an alcohol-related condition. This is less sensitive to coding practices but may also understate the role alcohol played in the admission. The broad definition includes admissions where either the primary diagnosis or one of the secondary diagnoses is an alcohol-related condition. This is more sensitive to changes in coding practices over time.
According to the narrow definition, there were 280,000 estimated admissions in 2019-20 where the main reason for admission to the hospital was attributable to alcohol. This is 2% higher than 2018-19 and 8% higher than 2016-17. This represents 1.6% of all hospital admissions, with the number of admissions rising with age until the age group of 55-64, after which it falls. More men than women were admitted, with 65% of patients being male.
The broad definition, on the other hand, estimates that there were 980,000 admissions in 2019-20 where the primary reason for hospital admission or a secondary diagnosis was linked to alcohol. This is 4% higher than 2018-19 and represents 5.7% of all hospital admissions. This definition captures a wider range of alcohol-related admissions, including those where alcohol may have been a contributing factor but was not the main reason for admission.
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Alcohol-related hospital admissions by race
Alcohol-related hospital admissions are used as a way of understanding the impact of alcohol on the health of a population. There are two methods to measure this: the broad definition and the narrow definition. The broad definition gives an indication of the full impact of alcohol on hospital admissions and the burden placed on the NHS. The narrow definition estimates the number of hospital admissions that are primarily due to alcohol consumption and provides the best indication of trends in alcohol-related hospital admissions.
According to a study on alcohol-related diagnoses in hospital admissions among middle-aged and older adults from 1993 to 2010, there were estimated race and gender differences in alcohol-related hospital admissions. The study found that among those aged 45 and older, admissions rose from an estimated 610,634 to more than 1,134,876, and rates of any alcohol-related diagnosis also increased during the study period. The study also found that the rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions were higher for certain racial and ethnic groups, but the specific racial and ethnic groups were not mentioned.
Another source mentions that in 2019/20, there were 280,000 estimated admissions in England where the main reason for admission to the hospital was attributable to alcohol (narrow measure), representing 1.6% of all hospital admissions. However, it is unclear whether this data includes information on race or ethnic group.
It is important to note that the impact of alcohol on hospital admissions varies by region and country, and the methods used to measure alcohol-related hospital admissions may also differ. Therefore, it is difficult to make direct comparisons between different racial or ethnic groups without specific data.
Overall, while there may be differences in alcohol-related hospital admissions by race or ethnic group, the available sources do not provide comprehensive data to make definitive conclusions. Further research and data are needed to understand the full impact of alcohol on hospital admissions across different racial and ethnic groups.
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Alcohol-related hospital admissions by region
Alcohol-related hospital admissions are used as a way of understanding the impact of alcohol on the health of a population. There are two methods to measure this: the broad definition and the narrow definition. The broad definition gives an indication of the full impact of alcohol on hospital admissions and the burden placed on the NHS. The narrow definition estimates the number of hospital admissions that are primarily due to alcohol consumption and provides the best indication of trends in alcohol-related hospital admissions.
Using the broad measure, there were almost 980,000 estimated admissions in England during 2019/20 where the primary reason for hospital admission or a secondary diagnosis was linked to alcohol. This is 4% higher than 2018/19 and represents 5.7% of all hospital admissions. Southampton had the highest rate at 4,070 per 100,000 population, while Wokingham had the lowest rate at 1,070 per 100,000 population.
The narrow measure showed that in 2019/20, there were 280,000 estimated admissions where the main reason for admission to the hospital was attributable to alcohol. This is 2% higher than 2018/19 and 8% higher than 2016/17. It represents 1.6% of all hospital admissions, with this percentage unchanged since 2016/17. Stoke-on-Trent had the highest rate at 920 per 100,000 population, while Wokingham had the lowest at 290 per 100,000 population.
The number of admissions rises with age up until the 55-64 age group and then falls. Men are more likely to be admitted than women, with 65% of patients being male.
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Alcohol-related hospital admissions in Ireland
Alcohol misuse has a significant impact on hospital admissions in Ireland, with a notable financial and human cost. While the true cost is challenging to quantify, a 2014 analysis estimated the financial burden of alcohol harm in Ireland at approximately €2.35 billion annually. This includes lost economic output, absenteeism, accidents at work, suicide, and premature mortality.
The impact of alcohol on hospital admissions in Ireland is substantial. A study from 2000 to 2004 estimated that alcohol caused 3,428,973 (10.3%) bed days, while preventing 529,239 (1.6%) bed days, resulting in a net number of 2,899,734 (8.7%) bed days due to alcohol. Furthermore, in 2013, alcohol-related discharges accounted for 160,211 bed days in public hospitals, representing 3.6% of all bed days.
The burden of alcohol-related admissions falls disproportionately on specific demographics. Studies have shown that men are more affected than women, and young to middle-aged people are more likely to require hospital admission than older individuals. Additionally, a study at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin found that males accounted for 63.1% of alcohol-related emergency department presentations, and individuals aged 40-50 years were more associated with alcohol-related presentations compared to other age groups.
To address the high level of alcohol consumption and related harms in Ireland, the country introduced a minimum unit pricing (MUP) policy in January 2022, setting a price of €1.00 per 10 grams of alcohol. This policy aims to reduce alcohol-related harms and the associated financial and human costs. The impact of this policy on alcohol-related hospital admissions is yet to be fully determined.
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Frequently asked questions
In 2019/2020, there were 280,000 admissions where the primary reason for hospital admission was attributable to alcohol. This is the narrow measure, which estimates the number of hospital admissions primarily due to alcohol consumption.
In 2019/2020, there were 980,000 estimated admissions where the primary reason for hospital admission or a secondary diagnosis was linked to alcohol. This is the broad measure, which gives an indication of the full impact of alcohol on hospital admissions.
Admissions for this age group rose from an estimated 610,634 to more than 1,134,876 between 1993 and 2010.


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